names to American horses that are almost extinct, here are 8 of the rarest, most beautiful horses
in the world!! 8. Akhal-Teke
This heavenly horse is also the national emblem of Turkmenistan! This kind of horse is known worldwide for
its speed, endurance, intelligence, and of course, its beauty. Did I mention that it can also adapt to severe
climatic conditions? Gosh, what cant it do!? It is also one of the oldest breed of horses
that still exist today. Maybe.
Scientists cant say for sure, because its
pretty hard to determine our own human history, let alone horse history! In any case, the ancestors of this breed date
back to horses that lived 3000 years ago! The famous historian Herodotus even mentioned
this horse. Some say that the Akhal-Teke is a direct descendant
of the Turkoman horse, a breed that is now extinct. The Akhal-Teke is listed as threatened, which
is extremely rare with domestic animals. This horse is also famous for its metallic
sheen, caused by its extremely fine hairs.
It always looks super glossy and shiny no
matter what the color. The younger ancestors of Akhal-Teke were golden,
but now it is one of the few horse breeds that has a wide range of colors. The 3 main colors are black, bay and red. The stallions of this breed have influenced
many breeds and were often given to Heads of State and important people in foreign lands.
7. Sorraia
Sorraia is a very rare breed of horse, specific to the Iberian Peninsula, in the area surrounding
the Sorraia River in Portugal. Hence the name. Previously the breed was simply known by the
locals as zebro or zebra.
This is because newborn foals, were born with
hair that would lay in stripe-like patterns. This horse is known for its primitive features
and they lived practically wild on a large estate until 1999. When outsiders discovered them in 1920, few
could believe that a wild horse subspecies had survived in Europe for that long. This entire breed was isolated and unknown
to science for such a long time that we dont really know much about their past.
What weve found out is that they share
similar characteristics with Mustangs in the western part of the United States. This suggests that Spanish conquistadors took
Iberian horses to the Americas during their trips abroad and one breed must have been
the ancestor of the Sorraia. Today the breed is almost extinct, with less
than 200 horses existing as of 2007. They are mainly found in Portugal, but also
in Germany, where they are used for different things like herding bulls, dressage riding
or light harness.
6. German Forest Horse
Also known as the Black Forest Draft Horse, this horse is a small but very tough draft
breed with a high fertility rate and a long life span. Even though they are tough, this breed is
almost extinct. They are about 600 years old, and for most
of the time, this breed was used almost exclusively for forestry work because of their immense
strength, patience and gentle temperament.
They also have a dark chestnut coat with a
flaxen mane and tail, their short head has small ears and large eyes, their chest is
broad, and their legs are trim and strong with little feathering. The most common color for them is dark chestnut,
but they can also be gray or bay. They began to decline during the 20th century
when their jobs were taken by machines. Back in 1981 only 160 registered broodmares
were reported! Since then the government stepped in to help
protect the Black Forest horse breed and only the finest stock was used, so now they boast
that those that remain are of the best quality.
Today a major breeding center is located at
Marbach, where only 16 from a total of 46 State Approved Stallions are located. The rest are scattered in different private
breeding facilities. 5. Bashkir Curly Horse
This breed comes in all sizes, colors and body types, all with one unique characteristic
in common: curly hair! They are calm, intelligent and appear to enjoy
human company.
They have great stamina and a tough build. They generally have a nice calm temperament
which makes them less flighty and skittish than other kinds of horses. My mom had an Arabian that would spook at
its own shadow! They are also hypoallergenic so those
of you with allergies to horses most likely will have no issues being around a Curly Horse! The level of curly-ness can vary. This unique gene that makes the hair of Curly
Horses curly can be greater or less, changing from horse to horse.
As with other special breeds of horses, the
exact origin of the Bashkir Curly horse is unknown! One guess was that they descended from the
Russian Bashkir, a Russian breed that was mostly used as a draft and utility horse. However after a little research this theory
is probably not accurate because breeding was not very successful and the horses had
a low survival rate. Other hypotheses regarding the origins of
the Bashkir Curly Horse exist but they all failed to prove anything, so until more evidence
comes to light, we wont know where the first curly haired horse came from! Its origins are one of the greatest mysteries
of the horse world! Even without a clear past, these horses are
doing pretty well recently, as they can be seen in a wide range of equestrian events
like Western Riding, Competitive and Endurance Trail Riding, English Equestrian events and
much more! 4. Falabella
A pony or not a pony! That is the question that surrounds this horse
breed called Falabella.
By definition, the main distinction between
ponies and horses is height. A horse is usually considered to be at least
14.2 Hands (4 ft 10 in/ 147 cm) tall. A pony is less than that. The fun part is that the Falabella horse,
despite its size is not considered a pony, but a miniature horse since it rarely is taller
than 8 hands (32in/81cm).
So is it a horse or a pony, or something in
between? The debate is still ongoing.To me it doesnt
really matter, either way its cute! (Although I used to have a pony and he wasnt
very nice! Falabellas apparently are very friendly
and social.) The name Falabella comes from the family who
developed the breed in the 19th Century. The breed was first established in the 1850s
by an Irishman named Patrick Newtall, who acquired some small horses being kept with
Indian tribes. He transferred his breeding methods and knowledge
to his son-in-law Juan Falabella. Then this knowledge was passed from generation
to generation until this day! Only horses that come from the ranch in Argentina
that has a pedigree of uninterrupted bloodlines originally bred by the Falabella family is
a genuine, rare, Falabella horse.
Some breeders are selling mixed breed horses
as Falabellas when they are not. These little guys are small, but they are
pretty tough. They can live up to 50 years! And despite their size, they look just like
any other horse. They are also intelligent and easy to train,
making them perfect for shows, cart driving or even guide horses! 3.
Gypsy Vanner This horse, also known as the Irish Cob, is
a breed of horse from the British Isles. It has a very interesting story, as it was
not officially recognized until the 90s. Its not every day that a new breed is discovered! On a trip to England in 1995, Dennis and Cindy
Thompson were fascinated by a colorful stallion they saw at a farm. The horse had black and white markings and
very hairy legs.
They met the owner, a gypsy named Fred Walker,
who was known as King of the colored horses. He sold the stallion to the Thompsons and
they all decided on the name with the blessings of the dedicated British Gypsy breeders. On November 24, 1996 the couple made the worlds
first registry for this breed under the name Gypsy Vanner Horse. Vanner is a term that used to describe
a horse that was suitable to pull a caravan.
This breed was mainly used to pull carts and
caravans all over Europe. Nowadays, Gypsy horses are used in many equestrian
sports! 2. American Cream Draft Horse The American Cream horse breed is one of the
newest breeds of horses and an American native actually the American Cream is THE ONLY
draft breed native to the US that still exists! They come from Iowa and originate from a cream-colored
mare named Old Granny. Her cream-colored coat, pink skin and amber
eyes became the defining characteristics of the breed.
The color of her coat was so unique and beautiful
that people named it gold champagne. The color of their coat isnt the only thing
that makes this breed beautiful. They have refined heads, wide chests, strong
backs and are very muscular. Females are about 15-16 hands and can weigh
around 1600 lbs (700 kg) while stallions can be about 16 hands and weigh more than 1800
lbs (820 kg)! The breed is calm, making them a good choice
for owners who are new to handling draft horses.
Although it might be hard to get one since
they are so rare! Like many other horses, they suffered from
machines taking their jobs. Just as the breed was getting established,
the demand for draft horses dropped. In the late 50s no more than 200 American
Cream Draft horses were registered. Because of this, the breed was placed on the
endangered species list by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.
The good news is that their numbers are still
increasing, despite them being critically rare. 1. Knabstrupper The Knabstrupper breed is one of the oldest
breed registries in Europe. Its history is up for debate, but spotted
horses were bred in Denmark as long ago as 1671, descended from Spanish horses known
as Tiger Horses.
The original horses were extremely rare and
only given to nobility so the original line died out. In 1812 spotted horses returned to Denmark
with a new bloodline. It all started with just one mare owned by
a Danish butcher name Flaeb. He purchased it from a Spanish cavalry officer,
and named it Flaebehoppen, which literally translates to Flaebs mare.
In case anyone got confused! The mare was dark red with white snowflakes
and and white mane and tail, very unique for the day and very beautiful! A wealthy landowner who lived in Knabstrupgaard,
a manor, bought the horse and all of the horses today are said to descend from Flaebehoppen. The Knabstrupper stand out mostly because
of their unusual color. The knabstrupper horse exhibits different
patterns, such as the most famous leopard with white background covered with black,
bay or chestnut spots or the blanket, the snowflake, the snowcap and so on. They are known for being extremely gentle
and are very easily trainable.
Their strength and stamina are also incredible! Danish officers often used Knabstrupper horses
during war! They are the perfect choice for a war mount,
except one minor, but very important, detail: their color. Yup, what makes them different and beautiful
is a disadvantage on the battlefield. Because of their eye-catching marks they were
easy targets for the enemies! In the Battle of Isted in 1850 for example,
two officers used knabstrupper as mounts. They both died, but somehow one of the horses
survived.
They now come in all shapes and sizes and
are a respected breed around the world used for all kinds of competitions. Thanks for watching!! Let us know about your experience with horses
in the comments below! Be sure to subscribe and see you next time!!.

